The Newest Episode of “Riverdale” Addressed Fred Andrews’s Future

Riverdale aired its first episode without Luke Perry on Wednesday night. Perry, who passed away in March, had portrayed the role of Fred Andrews, father to Archie Andrews, played by actor KJ Apa. Since his passing, cast and crew from the series hinted at possible ways the show might address the loss of his character, and Wednesday's night episode provided an answer.

After previously airing Perry's final episode, which included Fred's supportive words to Archie, this week's Riverdale started a storyline that placed the character out of town. Comicbook.comreports that the episode begins with Archie's mom, played by Molly Ringwald, arriving in Rivedale. The two briefly discuss that Fred has taken the truck, which is why Archie was unable to pick up his mom from the airport.

Later in the episode, Ringwald's character, Mary Andrews, announces that she'll be staying with Archie while Fred is "out of town." The decision to place Fred out of town comes after the show's creator, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa explained that Perry's death would be addressed, but those on the show needed time. "We know that we have to address it in some way," he said, "but we’re giving ourselves a little bit of time and space before we figure out the best way to honor him."

It's not clear whether future episodes might further explore Fred's absence, but in a recent interview, Apa echoed Aguirre-Sacasa's sentiments. "His legacy is gonna live on in the lives around him, that he worked with, you know?” the actor told Entertainment Tonight. "I’m never gonna forget him and I think it’s still very fresh and we’re all still dealing with it."

He continued, hinting at some of the events that transpired on last night's episode. "We’re definitely gonna obviously have to address it at some point,” he said. “Whether that’s Molly stepping in as more of an active parent for Archie — again, that depends on the availability of the actors around us. So we’ll do what we can." The show's creator had announced in March that all future episodes of the series would be dedicated to Perry.